Chapter 34
“Wow.” Benjamin tried to whistle, but Summer had stolen his breath. “You look fantastic.”
She wore a light pink sundress that flowed loosely and yet still managed to highlight her curves. The waves of her hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back, and her mouth wavered in a nervous smile.
Her cheeks matched the pink of her dress, but she waved off the compliment. “Not really.”
“You really do,” said Mia from her spot on the floor, where Max had recruited her to play dinosaurs the moment she walked in the door ten minutes ago.
“Thank you.” Benjamin grinned at his niece for providing backup, grateful she had decided to stay in town and attend the local community college, especially since he had big plans to take Summer on lots more of these dates.
“Max’s bedtime is eight o’clock,” Benjamin reminded Mia.
“But we’ll be home by then,” Summer quickly added.
“No,” Benjamin said firmly. “We will not.”
“Benjamin,” Summer protested.
But he shook his head. “Max wants Mia to tuck him in anyway, don’t you Max?”
Max nodded the head of his stuffed dinosaur up and down. “Yes, I do,” he said in a deep voice punctuated by a giggle.
“There you have it. The dino has spoken.” Benjamin crossed the room to give Max a hug. “Behave for your cousin.”
“I will.” Max’s dinosaur nodded again.
Benjamin stepped out of the way so Summer could hug Max too.
His phone dinged, and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was a text from Jasmine. He’d texted her after their earlier meeting to explain the whole situation.
You don’t owe me any explanations, her reply read. But thank you for telling me. I’ll keep y’all in my prayers.
He clicked off the phone and tucked it back into his pocket, feeling more relieved than he’d expected to. He didn’t want her to think he’d been dating her while he was planning to marry Summer. And now that she knew, things wouldn’t be so awkward the next time they met.
“Come on.” He reached for Summer’s arm and tugged her away from Max. “It’s time to go.”
She let him pull her toward the door, and he used the opportunity to slip his hand into hers. She didn’t pull away, but as soon as they were outside, she murmured, “I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”
“It’s not.” Benjamin led her to the Gremlin—the same car he’d driven for their very first date. “It’s a fantastic idea.”
She laughed, though the sound held more anxiety than amusement.
At the car, he stopped and turned to her. “Relax. This is going to be fun. I promise.” He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her forehead, then quickly opened her car door, before he could be tempted to let his lips travel to her mouth.
Once she was in, he took a deep breath, then circled to the driver’s side.
“Where are we going?” Summer asked as he started the car.
“You’ll see.” He couldn’t suppress a playful grin.
“Benjamin, you know I don’t like surprises.”
“I know.” His grin grew. “But I love them.” He reached across the tiny space between them and threaded his fingers through hers.
She made a sound that he assumed was meant to convey annoyance, but he didn’t buy it. Not with the soft way her lips lifted, nor with the way her fingers closed around his.
They chatted easily as Benjamin drove—about the unrelenting heat, and about the picture of a dinosaur Max had painted at school, and about how things were going at the bookstore and the restaurant.
When Benjamin slowed the car to pull into a parking lot, Summer laughed. “I think I might be a little overdressed for Murf’s.”
“Nope. You’re perfect.”
Summer dipped her head but didn’t say anything.
“I thought about taking you to The Depot,” he added as he pulled into a parking spot. “But my coworkers would have harassed you endlessly, and tonight I want you all to myself.”
Something wistful and fleeting passed across Summer’s face but disappeared so quickly that Benjamin told himself he’d imagined it. He got out of the car and ran around to open her door, a thrill running up his arm as she let him take her hand again.
The burger shop was packed full, and Benjamin wrapped an arm around Summer’s waist to keep her close as they waited in line. Her head swiveled toward him, and for a moment he was sure she was going to pull away. When she instead leaned into him a little, he nearly cheered out loud.
Simeon was a genius. Starting this relationship from the beginning was exactly what they needed.
They placed their order, then carried their food to a small table in a corner since it was too hot to eat at the picnic tables outside. Benjamin’s only regret as they ate was that Murf’s burgers were too big to eat with one hand, which meant he had to let go of Summer’s for a little while.
They lingered over the meal longer than he had planned, until Benjamin suddenly realized that if they didn’t get going, they were going to be late for the next part of their date.
“Now where are we going?” Summer asked as he took her hand and led her toward the door.
“You know I’m not going to tell you that,” he teased.
“What if I refuse to go with you unless you tell me?” Summer stopped in the middle of the crowded restaurant, flattening her lips—but her eyes sparkled playfully.
“Then I guess I’ll have to pick you up and carry you,” he retorted, stepping close and squatting a little to circle his arms around her legs and lift.
“Benjamin, put me down,” she gasp-shrieked, and heads around the room turned.
Undaunted, Benjamin asked, “Are you going to come with me, no questions asked?”
“Yes, yes,” she promised. “Put me down.”
He complied, and she swatted at his shoulder the moment her feet were on the ground. “I can’t believe you did that.”
He gave her a cheeky grin. “Really?”
She relented with a laugh. “Well, I can believe it. But I wish I couldn’t.”
“Now would you stop wasting time? We’re going to be late.” Benjamin took her hand and tugged her toward the door, ignoring her splutters.
The final credits scrolled across the movie screen, and still Summer didn’t want to move. Somehow, Benjamin had managed to get the owner of the town’s small movie theater—which was usually only open on weekends—to not only open on a Wednesday night but also to play Summer’s favorite princess movie: Beauty and the Beast. Benjamin had kept her laughing through the beginning of the movie, with his commentary on the villain Gaston, but halfway through, when Belle and the Beast started to fall in love, he’d quieted and wrapped his arm around her back. After a while, she’d relaxed enough to rest her head on his shoulder.
They still sat like that now as the credits came to an end. She felt Benjamin shift a little, and her eyes closed as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Did you like it?” he whispered.
She nodded, though she didn’t know whether he was asking about the movie or the kiss.
“Good. And now it’s time for the next part of our evening.” He slowly slid his arm out from behind her, his fingers tracing lightly over her skin and leaving tingles in their wake.
“The next part?” Reluctantly, she sat up. “I think this was enough already. We should probably get home.”
But Benjamin shook his head stubbornly. “Not yet.”
“Are you at least going to tell me what the next part is?”
“Of course not.”
It was the answer she’d expected, and despite her earlier claim that she didn’t like surprises, she found herself enjoying the anticipation of what Benjamin might have planned for her.
They headed out to the small lobby, where Benjamin thanked the theater owner—who reminded him that he’d be looking forward to moving to the top of the reservation list at The Depot.
“Benjamin,” Summer protested. “Isn’t that a bribe?”
He chuckled. “He has a standing reservation, so no. He’s good friends with John.”
“And John is the owner of The Depot, right? And Ireland’s brother?” Summer felt like it would take a lifetime to get a grasp on all of the Calvanos and their connections. They seemed to know everyone in town.
“Correct.” Benjamin opened the door for her, and Summer stepped out into the night, bracing for the sudden wave of heat. But a cool, refreshing breeze caressed her skin, and the sidewalks glistened with rainwater in the streetlights.
“I didn’t realize it rained while we were in there,” she said.
“I didn’t realize there was anywhere other than the inside of the movie theater while we were in there.” Benjamin’s arm slipped across her shoulders and drew her close.
Before she could figure out how—and whether—to respond, he led her toward the Gremlin. He tucked her inside, then got in himself. But instead of starting the vehicle, he turned to her, his expression earnest. “Are you having fun?”
“I am.” She was startled into answering honestly.
He chuckled. “You don’t have to sound so surprised about it.”
“Sorry.” Summer laughed too. “I’m not— It’s just—”
“I know.” Benjamin’s expression went suddenly serious as he reached for her hand. “It’s been a lot.”
She nodded, swallowing roughly. “It has.”
His gaze was still on her, and her pulse began to throb against her neck so hard that she wondered if he could see it. The car was so small that their faces were only inches apart. If he wanted to, he could lean forward and—
“We should go,” Benjamin turned abruptly to the steering wheel, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Daisy’s is only open until ten.”
“Aha,” Summer said, but her voice lacked the triumph she was going for. “Now I know where we’re going.”
Benjamin mock groaned. “You got me that time.”
The drive to Daisy’s took less than five minutes, and Benjamin kept up a steady stream of conversation, as if nothing had happened.
Because nothing did, she reminded herself.
Clearly kissing was the farthest thing from his mind.
And from hers.
The moment Benjamin pulled into a parking spot and turned off the vehicle, he jumped out. Summer blinked at his empty seat for a moment, then reached for her own door, but it was already open.
She got out slowly, careful to keep some distance between herself and Benjamin. But he reached for her hand and pulled her closer with a smile. Summer swallowed and ordered herself not to look at his lips.
Inside, Benjamin ordered a slice of coconut cream pie for himself, then turned to her. “Caramel apple?”
Summer nodded, telling herself that the fact that he still remembered her favorite pie flavor shouldn’t make her heart skip a beat. It was a common enough flavor.
“Could we get those to go?” Benjamin asked the girl at the counter.
“To go?” Summer glanced around the nearly empty restaurant. There were plenty of places to sit here. “Where are we going?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Benjamin’s grin was impish. “You ruined my surprise by figuring out we were coming here. So I’m improvising.”
“I didn’t ruin your surprise,” Summer argued. “You told me. I can’t help it if you can’t keep a secret.”
Benjamin stood close enough that his arm brushed hers. “Yes, but you’re the one who distracted me.”
“Distracted you?” Summer attempted a scoff. “How did I distract you?”
“You made me want—”
“Here y’all are.” The girl behind the counter interrupted Benjamin’s whispered response, and Summer exhaled shakily as he moved away from her to take the bag. What had he been about to say?
She scurried ahead of him to open the door. It was better if she didn’t know anyway. Maybe he was going to say that she made him want pie.
Outside, she headed straight for his car, but he called her back. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Summer looked around dubiously. “We’re going to eat pie in the parking lot?”
He shook his head. “We’re not going far,” he amended. “Come on.” He held out his hand, and despite her better judgment, she took it.
He led her toward the riverwalk that led behind the downtown shops, stopping at a bench under the soft glow of an old-fashioned streetlamp. “How’s this?”
“Um . . .” Summer didn’t want to rain on his plans, but— “It’s kind of wet.”
“True.” Benjamin frowned, then handed her the Daisy’s bag and started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Benjamin, what are you . . .” The white t-shirt he wore under his button down did nothing to conceal his muscles, and Summer had a sudden flash of being pressed against his chest in the hallway this morning.
He pulled his button-down shirt off all the way and balled it up. Before Summer could protest, he was running it over the bench like a towel.
“There.” He looked up, clearly satisfied with himself. “Now it’s dry.”
Summer shook her head with a wry laugh. “But your shirt’s not.”
He shrugged. “It’s worth it.”
He dropped onto the bench and beckoned Summer to sit next to him. Still shaking her head, she obeyed. He took the Daisy’s bag from her, opened it, and fished out two clamshell containers and two forks.
“Close your eyes,” he ordered suddenly.
“I— What?” Summer blinked at him.
“Close your eyes,” he repeated.
“Benjamin,” she objected with a confused laugh. “What are you going to do?”
“Just trust me. Or no pie.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “I want it noted that I’m doing this under protest.”
“So noted.”
Summer sighed and closed her eyes, a dance troupe’s worth of nerves suddenly leaping through her middle.
Was he going to kiss her?
She heard the crunch of a clamshell opening and let out a breath. Pie had never felt like such a disappointment before.
“That had better not be coconut,” she warned.
“Trust me,” Benjamin repeated.
A hand slid against her cheek, and she inhaled sharply, but then a fork touched her lips. Instinctively, her mouth opened, and the tart sweetness of apple and caramel mingled on her tongue.
“How is it?” Benjamin asked.
“Mmm.” She sighed, opening her eyes slowly to find his gaze on her lips. She licked them quickly to catch any crumbs. “But why did I have to close my eyes?”
Benjamin’s gaze moved from her lips to her eyes. “So I could do this,” he whispered, both of his hands coming to her face as he leaned toward her.
Summer’s breath caught in her chest.
Benjamin hesitated, his eyes questioning, and Summer knew she should stop him. Tell him this was a bad idea. But she nodded, letting her eyes fall closed again.
His lips brushed hers with a caress softer than the breeze, and Summer sighed the same sound she’d made when she tasted the pie.
Benjamin chuckled low in his throat and deepened the kiss.
Oh, Summer shouldn’t want more of this, but she did.
She slid closer and brought her hands to his shoulders.
But her knee bumped into his, and the sound of something hitting the ground pulled them apart.
“Oh no.” Summer had barely enough breath to get the words out. She stared at the two clamshells and their contents spilled on the ground. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” Benjamin’s finger grazed her cheek. “I found something much more delicious than pie.” He grinned and brought his lips to hers again.